Several weeks have passed since the end of the last NCAAF season, and many programs are already starting to rev up for what’s ahead. One of the most heated debates in recent days has been whether teams should participate in the Spring Games or not, something that Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning addressed regarding his team’s situation.
While many programs have voiced opposition to participating in these events, citing worries about the potential length of the season or even tampering concerns, the Ducks’ head coach made it clear that his program will play, as originally planned.
“I think it’s the best way for us to get better,” Lanning told The Oregonian’s James Crepea. “For me it’s the right way to cap off the spring. As long as I’m here we’ll be doing spring games.”
Following Lanning‘s confirmation about what will be done from Eugene, it’s worth noting that the Oregon football team’s annual Spring Game has been scheduled for Saturday, April 26, and will kick off at 1 p.m. PT at Autzen Stadium.
Matt Rhule, the first to oppose
One of the main voices in College Football to oppose the Spring Games was Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule. In an era where the NIL and Transfer Portal are becoming increasingly relevant in the league, the HC expressed that his concern about tampering led him to believe that such events were unnecessary.
“Fundamentally, I hate to say it like this, it’s really because last year, we were one of the more televised spring games and I dealt with a lot of people offering our players a lot of opportunities after that,” Rhule said to the press. “To go out and bring in a bunch of players, and then showcase them for all the other schools to watch, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
“The word ‘tampering’ doesn’t exist anymore. It’s just absolute, free, open, common market. I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world. I don’t want these guys all being able to watch our guys and say, ‘Wow, he looks like a pretty good player. Let’s go get him.’”
Sarkisian’s Longhorns will also not play in the Spring Games
Another program that joined Nebraska in the decision to not participate in the Spring Games is the Texas Longhorns, led by Steve Sarkisian.
“No, we’re not going to have a spring game,” coach Sark said. “A couple of reasons why. Over the last two years, we’ve played 30 games. That’s a lot for college football. Fourteen two years ago, 16 this year. I just mentioned, we’ve had 25 guys get invited to the NFL Combine the last two years, so we have a lot of young players on our roster. We have 21 mid-year high school kids that just showed up.
“The development that’s needed for these guys need to get ready for the fall is a little bit different than it used to be. Our approach is going to be a little more NFL driven, kind of more of an OTA style early on as we grow into more of the scrimmage formats in the second half of spring ball. I just don’t know (if) rolling the ball out and playing the game when we only get 15 practices is the best for us to maximize the opportunities that we get. It’s going to be a little bit of a different approach, but I think college football is changing right now. We need to do a great job as coaches of adapting to college football. That’s what we’re trying to do, and I think that’s going to be good for our team.”